Sealed With a Kiss Read Free

Security’s head office,
hoping he’d be able to see her. With only three days left before
Annie’s wedding, she was on her own.
    John Fletcher held his door open. “Come
in.”
    She tightened her hold on her bag and moved
into his office. “Thank you for seeing me.”
    He closed the door and pointed at a chair in
front of his desk. “You’re welcome. What exactly did you want to
discuss with me, Ms. McReedy?”
    “Rachel…you can call me Rachel.”
    He sat down and looked closely at her. She
wished she’d worn something a little more business-like. Her
‘Welcome to Hawaii’ T-shirt didn’t exactly make her feel confident.
She’d pulled it on after she’d been splattered with paint by an
over-excited student. But she wasn’t here to make a good
impression. She was here to help Bella’s dad understand his
daughter a little better.
    She cleared her throat and unzipped her bag.
“I’m a teacher at Bozeman Elementary School. Your daughter, Bella,
spent time with my class last week.”
    “Was there a problem?”
    Rachel shook her head. “Bella is a wonderful
little girl. I enjoyed working with her.”
    “Why are you here, then?”
    Rachel wondered if the frown plastered across
his face was permanent. He didn’t seem like the type of person who
smiled a lot. He was completely different to the bubbly, happy,
little girl that had visited her school.
    “Ms. McReedy?”
    She blinked and yanked her mind back to the
man sitting in front of her. “Sorry.” She took Bella’s envelope out
of her bag. “As well as teaching at Bozeman Elementary School, I
help a group of friends who’ve started The Bridesmaids Club. Have
you heard of us?”
    John Fletcher was beginning to look
irritated. “No. I can’t say that I have.”
    “We’re sent pre-loved bridesmaids’ dresses
from all over the country. Women who need dresses contact us and
take them for their own weddings. Everything is free. It’s really
rewarding making people’s dreams come true.”
    Rachel smiled and John’s frown deepened. She
wouldn’t let his grumpiness distract her from what she had to tell
him. “About a year ago, The Bridesmaids Club received a letter from
a little girl. My friends tried to find her, but they didn’t have
much luck.”
    “And you think this letter was written by my
daughter?”
    “It was signed by someone called Bella.”
    John thought about what she’d said. “You’ve
got the wrong person. I can assure you that Bella doesn’t need a
bridesmaid’s dress.”
    “It wasn’t a dress that she wanted.”
    John’s gaze sharpened. “What did she
want?”
    Rachel had thought long and hard about how
she’d break the news to Bella’s dad. She could be incredibly
diplomatic when she needed to be, but she had a feeling that John
Fletcher didn’t have a lot of time for diplomacy. So instead of
repeating the words she’d decided to use, she passed him Bella’s
envelope.
    “It might be better if you read the card
yourself.”
    John took the envelope out of her hand. He
looked at the picture on the outside, then glanced back at her.
    She didn’t look down.
    He pulled the card out and read the message.
“My daughter wants me to get married?”
    Rachel had a feeling that the chance of that
happening was practically zilch. He might be handsome in a rugged,
outdoorsy sort of way, but his personality needed work.
    She glanced at the card. It was a whole lot
easier than looking into his surprised eyes. “Or she could want a
mom. She might be lonely.”
    John’s face hardened. “I can assure you, Ms.
McReedy, that my daughter isn’t lonely.”
    Rachel hoped he was right. She zipped her bag
closed, then stood up. “In that case, you’ve got nothing to worry
about. Although you might want to talk to her about finding a wife.
We deal with dresses, Mr. Fletcher, not hearts. Thank you for
seeing me. You can keep the card.”
    She left John Fletcher’s office, took her
coat off a hanger, and walked past his secretary.